Electrical connector



1966 w. J. KUDLATY 3,278,888

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed July 31, 1964 /a 0" a i 9 1 15.1. I5! 7 I W a Z "H x INVENTOR United States Patent 3,278,888 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Walter J. Kudlaty, Elmhurst, 11]., assiguor to Marvel Engineering Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed July 31, 1964, Ser. No. 386,599 1 Claim. (Cl. 339-211) This invention relates to improvements in electrical connectors of the quick-attachable-detachable type, an object thereof being to provide an assembly especially adapted to house vacuum sensing and signaling indicators and electrical connections operable to be responsive, for example, to pre-selected degrees of vacuum existing in pump suction lines whereby to timely indicate the condition of the line, of filters, and other constituent apparatus and parts included therein.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a connector of the above-stated character which is of such construction as will permit its assembly in a minimum of time and like labor, its casing or housing components being securely interconnectable without use of the usual screw-threaded and/or other types of fasteners; moreover, capable of being disassembled with equal facility.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical connector which will be durable and effective in use, protected from abnormal disruptive conditions and/or forces, and the electrical contact connectors, or terminals. shielded from detrimental accumulations, corrosion, etc.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a companionate conduit connector, so constructed that when contact-engaged with the contact blade equipped connector, the component parts of its casing will be effectively and securely locked in assembled relation, and when disconnected therefrom, will release the same and allow ready and convenient disassembly for access to devices and/or parts housed thereby.

The foregoing, as Well as other objects, advantages and meritorious teachings of my invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the following detailed disclosure thereof, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it being understood that the form of the invention presented herein is precise and what is now considered to be the best mode of embodying its principles, but that other moidifications and changes may be made in specific embodiments without departing from its essential features.

It is well known in the art that various forms of quickattachable and detachable electrical connectors have been heretofore produced and used. These devices, however, include component parts which are relatively complex and costly in fabricating, being particularly time-requiring for eifective assembly, as wit-h the use of screw-threaded and other forms of fasteners to secure the same; moreover, being tedious to attach and prone to faulty, if not hazardous, use performance.

Conversely, a connector constructed in accordance with the invention is capable of economical production, comprising but a minimum number of component parts which may be operatively assembled and installed with little effort, this, for the better part, without need for component-fastening or securing devices, and when installed assuring safe, effective and continuous-use performance.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the connector, including the terminal and conduit connector units illustrating the same in connected relation, with portions broken away and shown in section; a

Patented Oct. 11, 1966 FIGURE 2 is a top view, with portions broken away and shown in section;

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the body or casing cap of the terminal connector;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the conduit connector showing the contact terminals in the terminal connector contact blade receiving sleeves thereof; and

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG- URE 2 looking in the direction in which the arrows point.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the form of the invention hereinafter described pertains to an embodiment thereof in conjunction with a vacuum sensing and signaling indicator used for signaling deficiencies and other difficulties or abnormal conditions which may occur in the transmission line of a fluid power system, being usually installed between its filter and the pump intake, i.e., in the pump suction line. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is in no way limited to such usage, being advantageously and beneficially adaptable to a wide field of application usages, and variations. For example, the invention may be incorporated in a purely quick attachable-detachable electric conductor, this without the vacuum-sensing and indicator or signaling means as above stated.

The elected embodiment of the invention embraces two constituent units one of which is a terminal connector, generally indicated by the numeral 1, and the other a conduit connector, generally indicated by the numeral 2.

The terminal connector comprises a circularly or otherwise shaped body or casing 3 fixedly received or mounted in a dished bottom 4 provided with a substantially concentrically positioned and outwardly disposed screwthreaded nipple 5 whereby its communicating connection may be effected with a pump suction line (not shown).

Vacuum sensing and operatively responsive means or devices (not shown) are received and housed within the body for easing 3 in communicative relation to and with the nipple fitting 5, including an interconnected so-called pop-up button 6 extended above and without said casing. The button, preferably colored, when in its extended position serves to provide a visual signal or warning intended to apprise of abnormal suction line conditions. By the same token, and in some instances, it may be desirable that electric circuit closing means, again not shown, he provided within the body or casing and operatively associated with the vacuum sensing and responsive means. Thereby, actuation of remote audio and visual warning and/or control devices may be accomplished.

The top and normally upper end of the casing is formed with a pair of marginally opening channels fixedly seat ing therein a pair of coplanar contact blades 7, the outer portions of which extend laterally tberebeyond, as shown in FIGURE 2.

To close or cove-r the contact blade mounting upper end of the case, a cap 8 of shape and size substantially corresponding thereto is provided and snugly engaged thereover. It is formed or otherwise provided with a lateral and outwardly disposed sleeve 9 divided medially, as at 9', to afford a pair of relatively parallel and complementally shaped and sized contact blade-receiving ways of lengths at least equal to that of their extended outer portions (see FIGURE 2). Said ways are shown in the elected embodiment of the invention to be rectangular in cross-sectional shape, the purpose of which is hereinafter described. However, they may be of different shapes, such as conditions or preference may dictate. Also, the cap is formed with an opening permitting the aforesaid button 6 to extend therethrough.

The conduit connector 2 comprises a sectional body of suitable shape and size whose sections 10 and 11 interfit; the section being formed in one end with a conduit-receiving opening, and the section 11 with a longitudinal outwardly opening channel communicating with said conduit opening, the outer end portion of which is divided, as at 12, to form a pair of relatively parallel ways 12' of substantially rectangularly cross-sectional shape corresponding to those in the sleeve 9 of the cap 8. A groove 13 is formed within and transversely of the longitudinal channel of the section 11 immediately adjacent its divider 12, the purpose of which will be presently described.

Correspondingly formed contact blade-receiving and joining sleeves 14, preferably made of plastic or other suitable electrical insulating material, are received in the parallel ways 12' of the conduit connector section 11, their shapes and sizes being such that they will have snug slidable introduction and/ or engagement into and reception in the blade-receiving ways of the cap sleeve 9 when interconnecting the terminal and conduit connectors 1 and 2. Flanges or lips 14' are formed on the normally inner ends of said sleeves engaging in the transverse groove 13 in the section 11. Thus, when the conduit connector sections 10 and 11 are engaged in assembled relation and secured by a transversely extending connecting or tie screw 15, the sleeves will be securely anchored therein against longitudinal displacement.

Blade-receiving electrical contact terminals 16 are received and frictionally retained within the sleeves 14, be-

ing frictionally engageable with and over the contact blades 7 upon interconnection between the terminal and conduit connectors.

In usage of the connector when electrical contact, as 7 above described, is efiected between the constituent units 1 and 2 thereof (the terminal and conduit connectors), the snug engagement or reception of the blade-receiving and joining sleeves 14 within the ways of the cap sleeve 9 and their engagement with and along the contact blades 7 will serve to securely interconnect the cap 8 with and over the casing 3. Thereby, the need for other connecting and/ or fastening means, i.e., screws, bolts, etc., is eliminated. Moreover, removal of the cap from the casing is easily and readily efiectable merely by disengaging the conduit connector from the terminal connector, thereby permitting the cap to be canted and lifted from the casing.

I claim: 7 In combination, an electrical connector including a terminal connector and a conduit connector:

(a) the terminal connector comprising a body; (b) contact blades on and extended from the body; (c) a cap of cross-sectional shape and size substantially corresponding to that of a portion of said body and receivable thereof; (d) a sleeve on and extended laterally from the cap having internal outward opening channels therein communicating with the cap and receiving portions of the contact blades;

(e) the conduit connector comprising a sectionalized body one end of which has a conduit entering way therein;

(if) one of body sections having longitudinally disposed channels therein communicating with the entering way and opening onto the remaining end thereof;

(g) the channels being bisected by a groove formed in the one body section;

(h) relatively spaced sleeves received in the channels and extended outwardly therefrom, each having its inner end flanged and engaged in said groove;

(i) said sleeves being of shape and size substantially corresponding to that of the channels in the cap sleeve and snugly receivable therein; and

(j) contact terminals in the sleeves engageable with said contact blades.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,274,087 2/1942 Morten 33959 X 2,782,391 2/1957 Kirk 339-211 2,812,507 11/1957 Luisada 339--107 EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

W. DONALD MILLER, Examiner. 

